list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around War of the Worlds on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/War_of_the_Worlds/251134/default.aspx Title: War of the Worlds
Year: 2005
Director: Steven Spielberg
Plot: An ordinary man has to protect his children against alien invaders in this science fiction thriller, freely adapted from the classic story by H.G. Wells. Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a dockworker living in New Jersey, divorced from his first wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) and estranged from his two children Rachel and Robbie (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin), of whom he has custody on weekends. On one such visitation, looking after the kids becomes a little more difficult when, after a series of strange lighting storms hit his neighborhood, Ray discovers that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have emerged nearby, part of the first wave of an all-out alien invasion of the Earth. Transporting his children from New York to Boston in an attempt to find safety at Mary Ann's parents' house, Ray must learn to become the protector and provider he never was in marriage. Also starring Tim Robbins, War of the Worlds was directed by Steven Spielberg, who had been planning the project for years, but set it aside until a wave of "alien invasion" films (led by Independence Day) had run its course. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 30
Number of Lists: 67
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:11:37 GMTWar of the Worlds2005Steven SpielbergAn ordinary man has to protect his children against alien invaders in this science fiction thriller, freely adapted from the classic story by H.G. Wells. Ray Ferrier (<a href="/players/P____86295/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Cruise</a>) is a dockworker living in New Jersey, divorced from his first wife Mary Ann (<a href="/players/P____54440/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Miranda Otto</a>) and estranged from his two children Rachel and Robbie (<a href="/players/P___301579/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dakota Fanning</a> and <a href="/players/P___303042/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Justin Chatwin</a>), of whom he has custody on weekends. On one such visitation, looking after the kids becomes a little more difficult when, after a series of strange lighting storms hit his neighborhood, Ray discovers that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have emerged nearby, part of the first wave of an all-out alien invasion of the Earth. Transporting his children from New York to Boston in an attempt to find safety at Mary Ann's parents' house, Ray must learn to become the protector and provider he never was in marriage. Also starring <a href="/players/P___108437/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tim Robbins</a>, War of the Worlds was directed by <a href="/players/P___112325/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steven Spielberg</a>, who had been planning the project for years, but set it aside until a wave of "alien invasion" films (led by <a href=/films/93431/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Independence Day</a>) had run its course. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide30Tag Target (>10)67433http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t67034agkr6.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/War_of_the_Worlds/251134/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/owtkast/archive/2008/10/2/35803.aspx Post By: owtkast
Post To: owtkast Blog
Post Date: 10/2/2008 2:30:38 AM
Body: War of the Worlds has great special effects and plot tension but feels on the whole too slick and packaged. You can't see enough detail in the effects, which seem to burst out of nowhere, right on cue. (Tom Cruise flees the initial alien onslaught with split-second timing, human bodies disintegrating at his elbows and his ears.) There's a wealth of suspense, but it's big-movie, SFX-induced suspense so it feels smarmy or painted-on; this movie made me want to see the original film, with its story-driven suspense, even more than ever
]]>Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:30:38 GMTowtkastowtkast Blog10/2/2008 2:30:38 AMWar of the Worlds has great special effects and plot tension but feels on the whole too slick and packaged. You can't see enough detail in the effects, which seem to burst out of nowhere, right on cue. (Tom Cruise flees the initial alien onslaught with split-second timing, human bodies disintegrating at his elbows and his ears.) There's a wealth of suspense, but it's big-movie, SFX-induced suspense so it feels smarmy or painted-on; this movie made me want to see the original film, with its story-driven suspense, even more than ever http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Re_Sci_Fi_Movies_A_Z/598/29674/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 5/21/2008 4:06:53 PM
Body: War of the Worlds
]]>Wed, 21 May 2008 20:06:53 GMTSmooth_JMovie Games5/21/2008 4:06:53 PM War of the Worlds http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Film_Library/War_of_the_War_of_the_Worlds/512/23660/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: TheWorkingDead
Post To: The Film Library
Post Date: 1/9/2008 9:50:56 AM
Body: I recently read War of the Worlds for the first time(follow this link for my full review of that book), and have decided to revisit a few of the various adaptations that novel has inspired.(Spoilers: I'll be discussing the ending of the book/movies, which I normally assumed everyone knew of, but recent discussion with some friends has changed that perception)The original 1953 filmed version of War of the Worlds is probably the most widely accepted favorite, and at this point I have to agree. It ditches so much of the book, however, that it basically only shares a title and a basic premise; Martians come to earth, cause major destruction, and are eventually undone at the last moment by the common cold. The movie is, upon clear-eyed review, fairly slow and lacking in forward motion, and doesn't really engage audiences the way other 50's sci-fi films manage. In this way, at least, the movie stays true to the book, which could be a little distancing at times. But that's not really what people remember, or want from this movie. They recall those setpieces, with the still-frightening Martian ships that glide along like metallic Manta Rays bringing death to everything in their path. And I'll be honest, whenever the Martian ship rises from the crater making that rhythmic pinging noise, I get chills. The sound the heat ray makes is something that instantly transports me to childhood, when I would fill the margins of my elementary school papers with attacking Martian ships.In 2005, when Spielberg's War came out, I was excited, if only because I knew his movie would be a great piece of eye-candy, and it was. A terrifically paced, nicely suspenseful special effects eztravaganza that only really overdoes it with all of the family drama(which was not a part of the original book). This is the most accurate version done in America(there are a couple of Brittish productions that reportedly hew closer to the source material, and I'll comment on those as soon as I can get ahold of them), with most of the changes essentially adding up to necessary alterations for the time period. Like the book, this film follows only one protaganist, and shows primarily only what he sees, meaning much of the information we have is incomplete. Perhaps a bit too incomplete at times, with certain aspects(like the 'red weed') going completely unexplained, while the book at least touches on them.One other adaptation of note is the late 80's television version, produced in Canada, it aired in syndication in America(Fox up here in Alaska). I remember being terrified of the effects at the time, which are a little hoky today, but were gorier than anything else on broadcast television at the time. It's a direct sequel to the 1953 movie, taking place in modern day, where that original invasion had actually happened but most people consider it a fantasy due to the Hollywood movie(footage from the movie is actually used in several flashbacks). The show has a few changes to the movie mythology, with the Martians now able to hijack human hosts and travel around in them until the radiation begins to rot the body. There were a few times where the Martians tried to reclaim old warships(a couple in government storage, one sunken in a Canadian lake), and they had the exact design from the original movie. Also, this show stands out in memory(although I have the DVDs) because at the end of the first season, the Martians basically win, sending out heroes underground(literally) to hide and find ways to fight the aliens. This is the first time I remember a television show actually changing the status quo, and it blew my 11 year old mind.
]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:50:56 GMTTheWorkingDeadThe Film Library1/9/2008 9:50:56 AMI recently read War of the Worlds for the first time(follow this link for my full review of that book), and have decided to revisit a few of the various adaptations that novel has inspired.(Spoilers: I&#39;ll be discussing the ending of the book/movies, which I normally assumed everyone knew of, but recent discussion with some friends has changed that perception)The original 1953 filmed version of War of the Worlds is probably the most widely accepted favorite, and at this point I have to agree. It ditches so much of the book, however, that it basically only shares a title and a basic premise; Martians come to earth, cause major destruction, and are eventually undone at the last moment by the common cold. The movie is, upon clear-eyed review, fairly slow and lacking in forward motion, and doesn&#39;t really engage audiences the way other 50&#39;s sci-fi films manage. In this way, at least, the movie stays true to the book, which could be a little distancing at times. But that&#39;s not really what people remember, or want from this movie. They recall those setpieces, with the still-frightening Martian ships that glide along like metallic Manta Rays bringing death to everything in their path. And I&#39;ll be honest, whenever the Martian ship rises from the crater making that rhythmic pinging noise, I get chills. The sound the heat ray makes is something that instantly transports me to childhood, when I would fill the margins of my elementary school papers with attacking Martian ships.In 2005, when Spielberg&#39;s War came out, I was excited, if only because I knew his movie would be a great piece of eye-candy, and it was. A terrifically paced, nicely suspenseful special effects eztravaganza that only really overdoes it with all of the family drama(which was not a part of the original book). This is the most accurate version done in America(there are a couple of Brittish productions that reportedly hew closer to the source material, and I&#39;ll comment on those as soon as I can get ahold of them), with most of the changes essentially adding up to necessary alterations for the time period. Like the book, this film follows only one protaganist, and shows primarily only what he sees, meaning much of the information we have is incomplete. Perhaps a bit too incomplete at times, with certain aspects(like the &#39;red weed&#39;) going completely unexplained, while the book at least touches on them.One other adaptation of note is the late 80&#39;s television version, produced in Canada, it aired in syndication in America(Fox up here in Alaska). I remember being terrified of the effects at the time, which are a little hoky today, but were gorier than anything else on broadcast television at the time. It&#39;s a direct sequel to the 1953 movie, taking place in modern day, where that original invasion had actually happened but most people consider it a fantasy due to the Hollywood movie(footage from the movie is actually used in several flashbacks). The show has a few changes to the movie mythology, with the Martians now able to hijack human hosts and travel around in them until the radiation begins to rot the body. There were a few times where the Martians tried to reclaim old warships(a couple in government storage, one sunken in a Canadian lake), and they had the exact design from the original movie. Also, this show stands out in memory(although I have the DVDs) because at the end of the first season, the Martians basically win, sending out heroes underground(literally) to hide and find ways to fight the aliens. This is the first time I remember a television show actually changing the status quo, and it blew my 11 year old mind. http://www.spout.com/blogs/downwest/archive/2007/12/13/22772.aspx Post By: downwest
Post To: downwest Blog
Post Date: 12/13/2007 10:33:33 AM
Body: Visual effects heavy alien invasion survival movie more personal to the average individual compared to the 1953 version. I personally like this one more, but it's not a classic. As always, family matters more than anything.
]]>Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:33:33 GMTdownwestdownwest Blog12/13/2007 10:33:33 AMVisual effects heavy alien invasion survival movie more personal to the average individual compared to the 1953 version. I personally like this one more, but it&#39;s not a classic. As always, family matters more than anything. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/10/20567.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/10/2007 1:18:14 AM
Body: I don't feel like a have to defend myself for liking this film. It's a big, fat Hollywood summer blockbuster "popcorn movie" based on a timeless book. Screw you for not liking it - that's your problem. Movies don't always have to be "fine art" - they CAN be *gasp* ABSURDLY ENTERTAINING at times, too. P.S. - the shot of them going down the highway in the mini-van is cinematic MAGIC!
]]>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:18:14 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/10/2007 1:18:14 AMI don&#39;t feel like a have to defend myself for liking this film. It&#39;s a big, fat Hollywood summer blockbuster &quot;popcorn movie&quot; based on a timeless book. Screw you for not liking it - that&#39;s your problem. Movies don&#39;t always have to be &quot;fine art&quot; - they CAN be *gasp* ABSURDLY ENTERTAINING at times, too. P.S. - the shot of them going down the highway in the mini-van is cinematic MAGIC! http://www.spout.com/groups/Directors/Re_Directors_who_have_yet_to_make_their_masterpie/406/17996/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: GradysGhost
Post To: Directors
Post Date: 8/13/2007 8:05:34 PM
Body: I think that everybody's going to have a different idea of what a masterpiece is and isn't. I'm a perfect example. I hate The Godfather. I can't stand it. It's boring. But nobody else thinks that.If David Fincher has made a masterpiece, I think it's Seven. I like Fight Club, but I can't watch it start to finish anymore. I know what's coming. I've seen it too many times. I can quote the whole damn thing. Sticking feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken.Arie Posin's The Chumscrubber is a masterpiece to me. I think of it as a perfect story, a Shakespearian comedy of errors. Many people say the acting sucks, namely that of Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds, The Invisible). A lot of folks think the story is highly unbelievable (which I think is the point of the movie).Big Fish is Tim Burton's masterwork.If Wes Anderson has one, it's Bottle Rocket, because every other movie I've ever seen of his (and I haven't seen Rushmore) sucks flat out.Martin Scorcese doesn't have a masterpiece.It's all a matter of personal opinion. But when a majority of people consider a movie a masterpiece, then it really is one. I suppose The Godfather is a masterpiece, even if I hate it, because it's considered to be one by so many people.Does this make sense?
]]>Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:05:34 GMTGradysGhostDirectors8/13/2007 8:05:34 PMI think that everybody&#39;s going to have a different idea of what a masterpiece is and isn&#39;t. I&#39;m a perfect example. I hate The Godfather. I can&#39;t stand it. It&#39;s boring. But nobody else thinks that.If David Fincher has made a masterpiece, I think it&#39;s Seven. I like Fight Club, but I can&#39;t watch it start to finish anymore. I know what&#39;s coming. I&#39;ve seen it too many times. I can quote the whole damn thing. Sticking feathers up your butt doesn&#39;t make you a chicken.Arie Posin&#39;s The Chumscrubber is a masterpiece to me. I think of it as a perfect story, a Shakespearian comedy of errors. Many people say the acting sucks, namely that of Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds, The Invisible). A lot of folks think the story is highly unbelievable (which I think is the point of the movie).Big Fish is Tim Burton&#39;s masterwork.If Wes Anderson has one, it&#39;s Bottle Rocket, because every other movie I&#39;ve ever seen of his (and I haven&#39;t seen Rushmore) sucks flat out.Martin Scorcese doesn&#39;t have a masterpiece.It&#39;s all a matter of personal opinion. But when a majority of people consider a movie a masterpiece, then it really is one. I suppose The Godfather is a masterpiece, even if I hate it, because it&#39;s considered to be one by so many people.Does this make sense? http://www.spout.com/blogs/vhsparrow/archive/2007/6/22/11728.aspx Post By: vhsparrow
Post To: vhsparrow Blog
Post Date: 6/22/2007 4:10:44 PM
Body: It’s almost a ‘Fahrenheit 9/11′ for the thinking set, while simultaneously being ‘entertainment’ for the mall-rats. The attack sequences are a re-enactment of the US assaults on Baghdad, Mosul and Fallujah - from the Iraqi P.O.V. That much is clever, but… The thing is a too linear. Sure, it’s the anti-’Close Encounters’ and writer David Koepp has done a masterful job of rendering the inter-familial relationships, including little side-jabs at ‘Independence Day’ and the novelty of doing an invasion film from a singular, non-omniscient P.O.V., as opposed to Emmerichian and Speilbergian control-room cutaways. The Government isn’t gonna save us this time, folks. We’ve already seen Dakota Fanning get all wide-eyed and screamy this summer, just like we’ve also seen Tom Cruise in roles where he’s O.D.’ed on testosterone and proceeds to over-aggress through the rest of the film. It’s a fun little entertainment for Liberal ‘America-haters’ like myself, but I’m not sure there’s much more ‘there’ there. There’s a ‘comment’ about American foreign policy buried in Cruise’s live-alone Dad, but I’m not sure it’s worth pursuing. ***1/2 out of *****
]]>Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:10:44 GMTvhsparrowvhsparrow Blog6/22/2007 4:10:44 PMIt&rsquo;s almost a &lsquo;Fahrenheit 9/11&prime; for the thinking set, while simultaneously being &lsquo;entertainment&rsquo; for the mall-rats. The attack sequences are a re-enactment of the US assaults on Baghdad, Mosul and Fallujah - from the Iraqi P.O.V. That much is clever, but&hellip; The thing is a too linear. Sure, it&rsquo;s the anti-&rsquo;Close Encounters&rsquo; and writer David Koepp has done a masterful job of rendering the inter-familial relationships, including little side-jabs at &lsquo;Independence Day&rsquo; and the novelty of doing an invasion film from a singular, non-omniscient P.O.V., as opposed to Emmerichian and Speilbergian control-room cutaways. The Government isn&rsquo;t gonna save us this time, folks. We&rsquo;ve already seen Dakota Fanning get all wide-eyed and screamy this summer, just like we&rsquo;ve also seen Tom Cruise in roles where he&rsquo;s O.D.&rsquo;ed on testosterone and proceeds to over-aggress through the rest of the film. It&rsquo;s a fun little entertainment for Liberal &lsquo;America-haters&rsquo; like myself, but I&rsquo;m not sure there&rsquo;s much more &lsquo;there&rsquo; there. There&rsquo;s a &lsquo;comment&rsquo; about American foreign policy buried in Cruise&rsquo;s live-alone Dad, but I&rsquo;m not sure it&rsquo;s worth pursuing. ***1/2 out of ***** http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Great/MemberTagFilms.aspxGreat
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